Storage device jewelry attachment for clothing

ABSTRACT

A storage mechanism and jewelry that serves as dangling functional ornamentation for articles of clothing (i.e., bikinis, tops, bottoms, undergarments, shorts, pants, shirts, blouses, dresses, skirts, jackets, etc.) along with optional charm(s)/pendant(s) dispersed along the vertical dangle. The storage mechanism can be attached to any article of clothing in a permanent (by welding, sowed, glued, magnetized, etc.) or removable way (through the use of clasps, jump rings, split rings and other connectors) in areas of the clothing that provision for dangling objects. Said device can be opened and closed securely and is used for storing objects inside. It allows the user to carry objects on-person in a sealed container while making a fashion statement.

TECHNICAL CLASSIFICATION

The present invention positions itself as functional jewelry as well as a clothing accessory. While the device can address a pain point for carrying objects such as keys while performing activities such as surfing, paddle boarding, dancing, it can be worn without any specific activity in mind and without storing anything in the device. The device fulfills a functional need while also enhancing the look of the clothing in terms of glamour and sex appeal.

BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM STATEMENT

While the invention is more generic than the application in the use case described below, the intention of describing the water activity use case is to provide a reader a clear understanding of how this invention serves the market in a way it hasn't been served before. However, this is just one example of the use of the invention.

People around the world love water or other activities but often don't have a place to store their car key, car key fob or residential key in a way that accessible, fashionable and on-person. A lot of solutions exist on the market that offer key storage and are too technical, bulky and/or unattractive. They are either built for storing too many objects, they require a storage mechanism that cannot be carried with the owner of the valuable or could be hacked into in the owner's absence. Outside existing solutions, men and women around the world have come up with many creative albeit inconvenient and unsafe solutions to hide their keys such as hiding it under the car, in the sand, around their neck using a chain, leave the key with someone at shore who might not be available when the key owner gets back, etc.

However, there isn't one unique solution designed specifically for bathing suits that serves the function of on-person storage without compromising the glamour and sex appeal of the bathing suit/bikini. The purpose of the invention is to fulfill a market need by using areas of clothing fabric where a device storage can be attached in a permanent or removable manner. While swimwear and specifically the string on string bikinis present one such use of the invention, the device can also be attached to crop tops, dresses, bras, underwear, pants, shorts, blouses, etc.

PROPOSED SOLUTION

The focus of this invention is to allow people to keep their small personal objects safe with them at all times on the water while looking glamorous and enhancing one of the purposes of the modern day bathing suit, which is sex appeal. The goal is to provide a simple, elegant and glamorous on-person jewelry solution to store valuable objects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The drawings are not made to scale with respect to the clothing and as such, dimensions in the drawings shouldn't be interpreted literally.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one configuration of the storage device jewelry (as a shell-shape purse clutch) and charm that are attached to the mid-line string of a bikini top.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the storage device when it is in closed position.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the storage device when it is in open position with broad examples of what can go inside.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the storage device attached to the side string of a bikini bottom using a different configuration of storage device and charms.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative configuration/embodiment of the storage device attached to the drawstring on the waist portion of the shorts using yet another configuration of storage device and charms.

FIG. 6 provides general examples of various hardware connectors that can be used to secure said parts to each other.

FIG. 7 illustrates examples of different shapes of storage devices to demonstrate that the shapes are not limited to those from drawings above.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Since illustrations are more effective than words when describing a concept with strong visual elements, the purpose of the enclosed drawings is to help the reader not only conceptualize the invention but to also get a tangible perception of what it looks like and what need it serves. The detailed embodiments in the illustrations, however, are to be interpreted as examples of the invention, as opposed to an exhaustive list of permutations and combinations comprising parts of the invention, as building such a list is not permissible by various constraints.

FIG. 1. Illustrates one example of how the storage device jewelry can be attached to the top portion of a string bikini set in a removable manner. The parts on the left with the same numbering are simply magnified versions of the parts on the right. The figure illustrates an embodiment wherein the hook part of a lobster claw clasp (1), attaches to A, a bikini top. The integrated split ring at the bottom of 1, attaches to 2 a, an independent split ring. 1 a connects to the top bale of the storage device (2). The finer points of storage device, 2, will be covered in the description of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 after the next paragraph. The hook portion of 1. loops over the string in the middle of the bikini cups, an ideal and ornamental location for hanging jewelry, as opposed to a necklace.

The bottom of the device (2) has an optional ring structure/bale to which a split ring or jump ring (2 a) can attached for enhancing the look with a charm (3) or multiple charms. The split ring (1 a), in this case, links the clasp (1) to the storage device (2) holding it securely. The hook portion of the clasp (1) as well as the split ring (1 a) is wide enough so that the storage device rests against the upper belly without twisting or turning. An optional charm, in this case a black pearl (3) dangles below the storage device. It should be noted that here that clutch-like clasps are only one example of how the device can be secured and opened. Other mechanism that offer similar results are zippers, levers, folding/unfolding, buttons, etc., which may be present in various embodiments of the invention. It should be noted that 1 a and 2 a are interchangeable with other types of hardware or can be skipped altogether if any combination of 1, 2, 3 can be attached together in other way such as welding, glue, etc.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the storage device jewelry in closed position. The drawing shows bales on top (4 a) and bottom (4 b) that offer ways to interface with the clothing attachments and charms using connectors such as the ones described herein. The bales provide the extensible customizations features for the invention as the top bale (4 a) can be attached to the clothing with a variety of hardware connectors that loop through the bale and the bottom bale (4 b) allow for charms to be connected for further ornamentation.

The drawing further demonstrates a miniature clutch-like shell-shaped purse device. The device as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is constructed with a decorative shell shape purely for exemplary purposes as there are no restrictions on form and shape for said invention. The construction features two shell-shaped objects (6) converging to form a storage unit. Only the front shell is visible in this view. A storage device, by definition, allows the user of the device to stow away objects in it. In this scenario, the device opens and closes like a clutch purse wherein, each of the clasps (5 a and 5 b) on the top of the shell structures are twisted in towards each other to close the purse-like storage device. In order to secure objects inside the storage device (6), it needs to open and close in a way that doesn't allow objects to spill out. 4 a and 4 b are bales for connectors to pass through. Both bales are optional as there could be other ways of connecting and also since the charm is an optional feature.

Instead of having its own bale or attachment ring, the storage device may be constructed to reuse the bale/attachment ring/hardware of the object itself if objects such as key fobs provide an area through which a connector can be attached. The evolution of the storage device might consider these kinds of factors so the device and storage objects can be integrated in a more seamless manner and the device only focuses on sealing everything in its container except the object's bale. Connector hardware can then be used to interface with the clothing through the bale.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the storage device in open position. In FIG. 3, the insides of shell components (7 a and 7 b) of the storage device are revealed by twisting clasps (5 a and 5 b) in opposite directions to open said device (as demonstrated by the arrows in FIGS. 2). 8 a and 8 b illustrate side linings inside made of any material that allows the device to open in such a way that the objects have adequate coverage, so they don't spill out from the sides. Apart from the lining on the sides, the entire inside of the device could be lined with soft foam like substance on the interior part of the shell objects with a cloth lining to provide a non-abrasive area for interior storage. The device itself can be made from any kind of metal, plastic, or other substance of any thickness, texture, color or outside coating. Furthermore, the storage device doesn't have to be made from two separate objects that are converged like the shells in this case. It can be made from one or many parts. The interior may or may not be lined and the interior construction is not restricted to any kind of material, color, texture, thickness or other features.

Continuing the description of FIG. 3, parts 9, 10, 11 are examples of objects that can be stored in the device. While there are no specific restrictions at this time on the dimensions of the objects, there are weight and size restrictions on the magnitude any piece of clothing can support. For practical purposes, regardless of the shape of any of the components, the storage device itself is to not exceed more than a surface area of 5″×5″×3″. The length of the entire dangle including the optional hardware, storage device, zero or more charms depends on how the invention is customized and is not restricted at this time. The materials may be waterproof and might even be immersible in water without damage in a specific embodiment of the invention but not in other embodiments.

FIG. 4 illustrates the bottom part of a string bikini (B) where bikini strings on the sides of hips offer adequate room as well as the structure to hang an attachment device such as the one described above. In this case, the configuration is slightly different. The hardware is a “FIG. 8” style linked rectangles (12) that attach to a charm, a storage device (14), and then two more charms (13 and 15) of different shapes and materials below that. However, the order of the storage device and the charms are interchangeable, and shapes are not limited by the drawings. 14 could very well be the charm and 13 and/or 14 could be constructed for storage in their respective shapes.

FIG. 5 is another perspective view illustrates a different embodiment of how the invention can be used with shorts. In this example, split ring/jump ring (16) is connected to dolphin charm (17) and a leaf storage device (18).

As described above, functional, structural, aesthetic components described herein are not to be interpreted as limiting but to provide a few sample representations and uses of the invention from a larger population of use cases.

Furthermore, any and all terms/phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an conceptual as well as visual description of the invention.

The storage device can be constructed from materials that may be described as low-end, high-end or anywhere in between to be purely functional, fashionable or both. For instance, the storage device can be made from something as plain as plastic in a square shape or as upscale as a velvet rose-shaped purse with room inside for storage constructed from titanium with a mother-of-pearl exterior coating or engraved in precious stones.

A similar principle applies to how the device is attached to the clothing. The attachment can be permanent (welding, gluing, sewing, screwing in) or removable such as clasps, magnets, hooks, clips, rings made from material that ranges in quality and price range.

The attachment hardware can be constructed from metal such as steel, silver, gold, aluminum and nickel or something comparatively inexpensive such as plastic or resin. The hardware can be secured in a permanent or non-permanent manner from the storage device as the hardware can be jump rings, split rings, magnets or welded, glued, attached with screws or the myriad other existing or emerging connector solutions.

The invention can include any number of different lengths and widths depending on user preference. In FIG. 1, a dangle that consists of the hardware, the storage device, and the charm are arranged vertically to form a length that ends somewhere below the belly button. However, it should be understood that the length and width of the parts, the storage device and the charm(s) can vary between different embodiments of the invention.

Also, the invention is extensible to have either one charm or multiple charms anywhere below or above the storage device, or no charms at all. The device is not limited to the use of any single type of connector, as any number of different components capable of removably securing the device to the space in the clothing area that allows for dangling can be utilized herein.

There are no limitations to the number, order, color, shape, material, size, texture, pattern, image on the hardware, storage device or charms. As described herein, known methods of attachments are not limited but a few examples are screws, zips, clips, glue, compression fittings and welds, from a superset of hardware. As to a further description of the manner and use of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing certain embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. 

What is claimed:
 1. A storage device clothing attachment that comprises of: At least one sealed container (storage device) with the appearance of a jewelry pendant that uses a bale/attachment ring for connecting to any area of clothing that allows the device to dangle/hang from said area by using connector hardware or other means.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said device can attach to virtually any piece of clothing from any manufacturer through hardware or other means.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein said device serves as a functional pendant that attaches to clothing, provides a decorative sealable container, whose ornamentation can be extended by attaching other pendants (charms or further storage devices) in any order.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein said device can have a secure loop-like provision like a semi-spherical ring welded into its structure on top and optionally below to allow for hanging the device using a hardware connector such a clasp or a split ring to hang the device from a clothing area such as bikini loop and attach a charm to the bottom of the device.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein said device, aside from the storage element, there could be a plurality of charms attached to said device, which could be in any shape, form, material or size, complementing or customizing the appearance of the accessory as a means of self-expression.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein all attachments can be either permanent or detachable (non-permanent) with respect to securing to the clothing.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein said device along with the optional charms can weigh up to the maximum weight allowed by the structure of the clothing and the position of the attachment.
 8. The device of claim 1 wherein the storage component itself maybe in any shape, form, texture or material.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein a charm or storage component attached to the dangle may be of any shape or form, made from faux materials, naturally occurring, synthetic or processed materials; a non-exhaustive list of such examples would be pearl, precious or semi-precious stones, gems, metallic structure, beads (glass, shell derivative, plastic, metal, among others), pendant, locket, clay, resin, polyresin, dried flowers, leaves, plant parts, fur, feathers, paper creations as well as further storage devices.
 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the storage device can be used to contain any object that the size and dimensions allow and that the clothing can support such as any kind of keys (automobile or residentials), cash, cards, key fobs, coins, etc.
 11. The device of claim 1, wherein said device has both functional and aesthetic purposes.
 12. The device of claim 1, wherein there might be a plurality of hardware connectors, storage devices and charms occurring in any order, arrangement and fashion along the length of the invention.
 13. The device of claim 1, wherein any of the hardware connectors, storage devices or charms may be standard off-the-shelf parts available on the market or specifically customized for shape, size, material, color, texture, weight, etc. 